Shutter mechanism for roll film cameras



Sept. 5, 1939. L. LEITZ El AL SHUTTER IE CHANiSM FOR ROLL FILH CAIERAS 7 Filed May 5,1937

Patented Sept.5,1939 I Q I I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2.111,. Y snurrna MECHANISM ron non. mm

- camas Ludwig we and Wilhelm Albert, were, Germany, assignors to Ernst Leltl G. in. b. 11., Wetzlar, Germany Application my 5, 1937, Serial No. 140,850 I In Germany June 18, 1936 4 (laims. (01. 95-57) This invention relates to shutter mechanisms is attached to a curtain roller 03. The numeral for roll film cameras of the type in which the 32 indicates one of the ribbons for attaching the shutter rewindlng mechanism and the film adother curtain, not shown, to the ribbon drum ll.

. vancing mechanism are coupled together so that It will be understood by all persons familiar with when the film is advanced for the next picture, this type of camera that the curtains are wound is the shutter is rewound at the same time. Such up upon the roller l3 and drum H), both being an arrangement necessarily includes a number of I carried by the same curtain rewindlng shaft]. parts such as gears for instance for operatively Also, that when the shutter is released, by means coupling the shutter rewindlng mechanism and hereinafter explained, the shutter springs, not the film advancing mechanism. Hence, when shown, draw the curtains from the right to the 10 the shutter is released and operated in the usual left in the drawing and unwind them from the manner by means of springs, such coupling memcurtain roller l3 and the drum Ill. bers are also operated, hence the shutter springs The him, not shown, is wound upon a film rerequire a greater degree of tensioning and the winding roller, not shown, by means of a film operation is not as smooth and frictionless as roller 4 having sprocket wheels 33 which engage 1|;

maybe desired. Another disadvantage resides in the perforations in the filmin the usual manthe fact that the shutter release in such case reher. At the top the roller 4 carries a gear 2 quires greater force for operation and this in turn which is operated from a rewindlng knob II by causes unevenness when the release is operated gears 24 and 2. After each exposure the rewindgo and pictures may become blurred. ing knob is operated torotate the rewindlng The object of this invention is to improve such roller and through the gears 34, 2 and 3 rotate a shutter mechanism whereby to obtain a more the film transport roller 4 whereby to advance the smooth and easy operation. The invention is film one picture length and wind it up. This embodied in a shutter mechanism in which the operation is known in the art. At the bottom coupling members between the shutter rewindthe film roller 4 carries a gear 5 which by means ing mechanism and the film advance mechanism of another gear 8 drives a gear l fast on the-couis placed upon the shaft which carries the shutpling member 8 which also includes an annular ter curtain roller and ribbon drum. A holding recess is. The coupling member is rotatably pawl is also provided for holding the shutter in mounted upon the curtain roller shaft 0 and rewound position instead 01' having the coupling carries an upstanding pin ll adapted to engage 30 members perform this function. The release a depending pin l2 secured to the ribbon drum I. 80 member is arranged to operate a lever which in To the bottom of the curtain roller shaft 9 turn actuates the coupling members. This conthere is secured a disk 22 provided with a tooth struction includes a smooth soft release operation 2|, see Fig. 2, adapted to be engaged by a pawl 22 which eliminates shaking and the like and inhaving a spring i8 and carried by a lever ll u sures greater certainty in the taking of pictures. which is pivoted at 35. The lever It extends In the accompanying drawing illustrating the from its pivot, past the'shaft 9 and over to the invention right where it forms a recess 36 for a spring I. Fig. 1 is a view of a portion of a rollfilm cam- The shutter release shaft l4 extends down inside era illustrating the invention and with parts rethe film roller 4 into the said recess 26 as shown.

- moved and parts in section. v 7 At the top the release shaft carriesa release knob Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 26. The lever It carries a tooth l1, Fig. 3, which of Fig. l and looking upward. engages the annular recess 18 in the coupling Fig. 3 is a detail view illustrating th coupling member. The numeral 23 indicates a rod which a member, .rests upon the lever l6 and which is adapted tobe Fig. 1 illustrates a portion of a well known type operated vertically by a cam 25 which is rotated of camera in which the shutter consists of two by a handle 24. The camera is indicated sencurtains which are operated between curtain erally by the numeral I. It will be noted from rollers to form an exposure. The curtains are Fig. 3 that the pawl 20 engages the disk 22 in the attached to curtain rollers and by means of-ribupper half thereof. Thus, when the lever if is bons to ribbon drums. Spring rollers are prodepressed the th 'l ompleflt y auses unvided to move the curtains in one direction to coupling of'the two pins II and .I2 before the open and close the shutter and rewindlng means pawl 2| passes down out of engagement with the is provided to rewind the shutter springs for the disk 22. t

next operation. Inasmuch as such shutters and The operation is as follows: The drawing shows 55 their detailed construction and operation is well the parts in their normal positions at rest and it known in the art Fig. 1 shows only so much of the will be understood that the camera has been shutter mechanism per so as is necessary for unproperly loaded with film which stretches from derstanding this invention. the film roller 4 to the other side of the camera.

. Referring to Fig. 1 the one shutter curtain II It will also be understood that the shutter has from the roller l3 and the drum l0, these twobeen rewound so that when the shutter release is operated the shutter curtains will be unwound members being rotated from right to left in the drawing as the shutter is operated. All of this is familiar to persons acquainted with this type of camera.

When it is desired to take a picture, the operator depresses the release shaft M which moves the lever l6 down against the spring IS. The tooth H and the holding pawl 20 are both carried by the lever l6, hence when the latter moves down the tooth I'I moves the coupling member down to disengage the pins H and I2, and the holding pawl 20 is disengaged from the disk 22 and tooth 2|. The shutter shaft 9 is now free to move unrestrained and free from engagement.

with the gears I, 8 and 5. The shutter is operated in the usual manner and the exposure is made.

An exposure having been made, the operator lets go of the release knob 26 and commences to rewind the shutter and advance the film for the next picture. When the pressure upon the shutter release .shaft M is removed, the spring I5 moves the lever l6 up into normal position. The tooth IT on the lever moves the coupling member 6 up so that the pin I I engages the pin l2 and the pawl 20 is moved into the plane of the tooth 2!.

The rewinding knob 30 is now rotated whereby the film roller is rotated by way of the gears 34, 2 and 3. At the same time the gear 5 drives the gear 8 and the coupling gear I. The pin II by engagement with the pin l2 rotates the curtains rewinding roller shaft 9 and the curtains are now rewound upon the roller l3 and the drum H). In other words when the film is advanced the shutter is rewound by way of the coupling member 6. At the end of the rewinding movement which is stopped by the tooth 2| striking a fixed pin, not shown, the pawl 20 snaps in behind the tooth 2| and prevents accidental return movement. The parts are so arranged that there is a small amount of free play so that when the rewinding movement is completed, the pawl 20 serves as the sole holding member against the pull of the shutter springs upon the shaft '9.

From the foregoing it will be clear that inasmuch as the shutter release shaft I 4 only serves to depress the lever I6, which has a long leverage, the release shaft as such has very little work to do, hence a smoother and softerrrelease is obtained free from sudden jars. It will also be observed that when the shutter release is operated, the shutter springs operate the shaft 9, the curtain roller l3 and drum free fromengagement with the coupling members. Hence there is less friction to overcome and a smoother, more steady shutter operation is the result.

The film is unwound from the film roller 4 and wound back into the film .cartridge, not shown,

in the usual manner. During this operation the coupling member 6 is uncoupled from the film roller 4 by turning the handle 24 to rotate the cam 25 which in turn depresses the rod 23 to lower the lever l6 and disengage the coupling gear released to make an exposure, a rewinding mechanism including a coupling member for normally operatively connecting the said rewinding shaft with the rewinding mechanism, means for holding the rewinding shaft in shutter rewound posi tion and means for actuating said coupling member to completely disconnect the said rewinding shaft from the said rewinding mechanism when the shutter is released and'to disconnect the re winding shaft from the said holding means.

2. A shutter mechanism for roll film cameras including a focal plane shutter comprising a leading and a follow up curtain, curtain rollers supporting the curtains, a shutter rewinding shaft upon which the said curtain rollers are mounted to rewind the curtains after the shutter has been released to make an exposure, a rewinding knob remote from said rewinding shaft, a plurality of gears interposed betwen the said knob and shaft for driving the latter when the knob is operated, a coupling member slidably carried by the shaft for normally operatively connecting the shaft pawl from the said disk.

'3. A shutter mechanism for roll film cameras including a focal plane shutter comprising a leading and a follow up curtain, curtain rollers supporting the curtains, a shutter rewinding shaft upon which the said curtain rollers are mounted to rewind the same after it has been released to make an exposure, a rewinding mechanism for rotating said shaft to rewindthe shutter, means for holding said shaft in normal shutter rewound position, a coupling member, means for supporting the coupling member in operative relation to the rewinding shaft and to the rewinding mechanism and means for moving the coupling member into position to operatively connect the rewinding shaft with the rewinding mechanism preparatory to rewind the shutter after an exposure and for completely'disconnecting the rewinding shaft from the rewinding mechanism and from the said holding means when the shutter is released. 7

4. In a photographic roll film camera including a film advancing mechanism, a focal plane shutter comprising a leading and a following curtain. curtain rollers supporting said curtains, a shutter rewinding mechanism, a knob for simultaneously operating the said two mechanisms to advance the film and rewind the shutter after an exposure, a shutter rewinding shaft upon which the said curtain rollers are mounted, means for holding said shaftin normal shutter rewound position, a

- coupling member on the shutter rewinding shaft for normally connecting the-shaft to the said two mechanisms, :means for operating the couplingmember to completely disengage the shutter rewinding shaft from the said two mechanisms and from the said holding means when the shutter is released whereby to operatively disengage the shutter curtains from all connection with the said two mechanisms.

. LUDWIG LEI'IZ.

WILI-IEIM ALBERT. 

